Ash tray



Dec. 1, 1953 RFORTON 2,661,006

' ASH TRAY i Filed June 13, 1950 7 TELHQJ-L INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Harvey Paul Forton, San Lorenzo, Calif.

Application June 13, 1950, Serial No. 167,745

1 This invention relates to ash trays, and more particularly to a receptacle for receiving ashes or the like in which a wire insert element is ing cigarette from accidentally falling out of the receiver with the attendant fire hazards.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ash tray of the type described in which a cigarette may be supported as aforesaid, the said supporting means permitting even burning of the cigarette for the entire length of the latter.

A further object of my invention is to provide an ash receiver of the character above set forth in which the cigarette supporting portion may be readily inserted in or removed from the receiver so as to simplify cleaning of the parts.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of the ash tray of the present invention, the plane .of view being taken substantially along the line l-l of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the ash tray.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view, portions of the figure being broken away in order to more clearly disclose the features of construction.

The ash receiver or tray,generally indicated by the numeral 6, may possess any desired ornamental or utilitarian shape, but as here shown, comprises a generally circular bottom i, an integral side wall 8 rising generally vertically therefrom,

and an open top 9, the receiver, as will be under-' stood, being arranged to receive ashes or cigarette butts after the cigarettes have been smashed by a user. The receiver 6 may be constructed from any desired material, such as metal, wood, or a thermoplastic material. However, a burning cigarette placed in direct contact with a wood or plastic receptacle will deleteriously affect the latter, and therefore means must be provided for substantially preventing extended periods of engagement therebetween.

2 Claims. (Cl. 131-235) In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, such means preferably includes a hasket-like element, generally denoted by the numeral H, such element being disposed entirely within the tray so as to prevent accidental dislodgment of a burning cigarette from the tray. Also, the basket 1 I is arranged to support a cigarette at a plurality of spaced points so as to insure free air circulation around the entire length of the latter while maintaining the same spaced from the bottom and side walls of the tray. The basket element II is preferably constructed from a single piece of wire, one end 12 of the latter being formed substantially as a circle and supported by a shelf [3 formed in side wall 8 by a counterbore [4 adjacent the upper end of the receptacle. The wire, after following the shelf for substantially a complete revolution, is bent radially inwardly at 16, and thereafter is coiled as a downwardly convergent helix having substantially evenly spaced convolutions and terminating in a cylindrically coiled portion I! which is telescopically engaged on a post member l8 extending vertically upwardly from the center of the receptacle bottom.

With the arrangement as above described, it will be apparent that the basket element may be removed from the tray 6 by merely sliding the same upwardly over the post I8, and likewise -may be reinserted in an operative position by a reverse procedure. It will be noted that the outermost coil of the helix is spaced sufiiciently from the wire end l2 and the side wall 8- so that if desired, a cigarette may be placed directly into the ash receiver without placing it on the basket element. Due to the conical shape of the element l I, a cigarette placed thereon will normally repose with its burning end extending inclined downwardly into the tray, but, of course, with such end being spaced from the tray bottom. Depending on the exact positioning of the cigarette on the element ll, two or more coils of the helix will support the cigarette, but as the contact area between the wire and cigarette is negligible, there will be substantially no interference with air circulation around the cigarette, and complete and even burning of the same will ensue.

If desired, the side wall 6 of the receptacle, may be radially enlarged as indicated at 2! to compensate for the material removed by the counterbore [4, and also, it may be desirable to provide the upper end of post l8 with a conical recess 22 to facilitate snufiing the lit end of a cigarette. In any event, the cigarette holder and ash tray above described will insure the maintenance of a cigarette out of contact with the receptacle proper or the retention of butts and ashes disposed therein, will eliminate the danger of a cigarette falling out of the tray, will permit easy cleaning of the tray, and will permit a cigarette to burn evenly and thereby reduce the distasteful odors occasioned by smoldering or partially burning discarded cigarettes.

I claim:

1. Anashtrayfha'ving-a flat bottom and avertically disposed wall having a recess in the upper edge and in the inner surface of the wall, said recessed walls surrounding the flat bottom, post means extending upwardly from the center of said bottom, and a cigarette rest in the form:

of a basket comprising a single piece of wire having plural vertically superposed "coils-having a diameter slightly larger than thepost and adapted to fit thereover, rest on the bottom of the tray and to cover the lowermost portion of the post, a series of relatively close equally Spaced length. adapted to provide a space between 'the spiral and the wall such that 'a cigaretteamay be supported on said spiral and cigarette butts may be placed in the ash tray between the spiral and the final coil.

2. An ashtray having aflat bottom and 1a =vertically disposedwall having-a recessin the upper edge and in the inner surface of .the wall, said recessed wall surrounding the fiat bottom,-.a fvertically disposed cylindrical post extending upwardly from the center of the bottom to a height less than that of the recessed wall, the top of the post having means adapted to receive the lit end of a cigarette to extinguish the same, and a cigarette rest in the form of a basket comprising a single piece of wire having plural vertically superposed coils having a diameter slightly larger than the post and adapted to fit thereover, rest on the bottom of the tray and to cover the lowermost portion p'f -the'post, a series of relatively close equally spaced coils forming an upwardly and outwardly directed spiral adapted to support a cigarette and extending toward the recess in the side wall, a final coil of said wire substantially l5 References Cited the fi1e"of "this jpaten't UNITED 'ESTATES PATENTS Number Name *Da'te 2,210,291 'Herr Aug. '6; 1940 2,213,046 "Mather Aug. 2'7, 1940 2,505,351 Dickson Apr. '25, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 258,079 Switzerland July 1, 1959 268,990 Great Britain Y... .Apr=. 51A, 5192'] 5631700 Great Britain 228, 1944 

